Nokia: We can change Windows Phone 7 interface

Stephen Elop believes that Nokia’s agreement with Microsoft will allow the manufacturer to better utilise the Windows Phone 7 OS than previously done by rivals, HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell.

Talking to select analysts and press in a behind closed doors meeting (in which Pocket-lint was, of course, also in attendance) Elop talked up what Nokia could and couldn’t do with the Microsoft mobile OS, launched in October:

“We have established a relationship with Microsoft that allows Nokia to jointly drive the future of Windows Phone 7. To jointly define the language, functions and customisations that you’ll see in the future of Windows Phone 7. To have unique access to and the ability to do unique differentiating things relative to Android around software design, chipset support, and display configuration. And, of course, to ensure that it is competitive to Android and Apple.

“At the same time we have to make sure we can differentiate within the Windows Phone ecosystem. Nokia has exclusive technologies - one example is our camera technology that you see on the N8 - and, because of this unique relationship with Microsoft, it will contribute capabilities like that to a Nokia Windows Phone 7 phone, that you will not see on any other Windows Phone device.

“We have the ability to do customisations and extensions to the software environment that are unique and therefore differentiate. It’s very important to understand this is not a standard OEM agreement. Microsoft is placing a big bet on us."

So does that mean Nokia is about to go and destroy all that energy and effort Microsoft put into setting out the new OS? No.

“I want to put up a warning here. Someone asked me today that if you could change everything on the Windows Phone interface to suit Nokia, would you?

“Yes. We can do all of that. We have the ability to do all of that. But that could be the worst possible thing we do. We are trying to build commonality in terms of user experience.

"We have tremendous capacity to differentiate within the Windows Phone ecosystem because of our unique relationship with Microsoft. However, you have to be careful of how you use capabilities like that.

“We will resist the temptation to customise simply for the sake of customising."